Day 14 - Climbing Merapi

Merapi is an active volcano on Sumatra, 2891m high. To clibm this beauty within a day we got up at 5am. The rain joined us immediately, and we were a bit doubtful of our chances.

Taxi to the village close to Merapi for Rp.100K, and good sip of a coffee with toast in the total darkness in front of the mountain. Funny that liquid coffees were given to us in small plastic bags :)

The climb started at 6:10, when the light was already out. It tool us 30 minutes to get to the only check point at forestry station, and after that the 4 hour fun began.

We passed the bridge from bamboo, observed a wierd animal on the trees - something between a squirrel and a rat. And, of course, the route got steeper and steeper. Mud changed for tree roots, tree routs to clay, clay to green stones, and finally green stones - to volcano ash with grey minerals.

Last 300 meters were especially hard, as we chose the wrong way on top and climbed the steeper side without any pathway. After a quick chocolate and cookie lunch on the top we went to research the crater.

As the first-time climber of a volcano, I was amazed with the size and activity of the volcano's heart. The smoke was coming from a 200m deep hole of a 500m diameter. The walls of the hole were layered with different colors of rock - green, red, brown and even yellowish. We tried to come to the side to see the bottom of the hole, but it was covered under rock.

Another amazing thing that I observed on the top was a full circle rainbow around the sun. My humble understanding was that rainbow is a half circle on the ground - but this one was really symbolic for me - the sun in the center, and the rainbow around it in the very zenith of the sky!

Around 1pm we moved down using the pathway this time :) The whole route took us another 3 hours, and actually I found it harder to go down - maybe my muscles are just built like that...

Back in Bukittinggi we celebrated another great day with fresh fruits and juices. And the town gratefully added another tropical wall of rain to our nicest volcano memories...